In the Cards
by xDianaMoonx
Summary: 16 years have passed. Times change, people change. And for one Kanzaki Hitomi, it's in the telling that the story begins and ends.


Author's Note: After all the other lovely Escafic ideas that have   
brimming in my head, this is the one that overflowed. After reading a   
few one shot fluffs that really didn't do the trick, my muse began   
kicking me in the head. And out comes this. Mind you, I haven't   
written any type of story in a while. Hopefully this'll mean I finish   
my other stories and begin new ones. No angst really, probably more   
fluff than anything if even that. Just a simple answer to the question   
that's on everyone's minds when it comes to the lovely world of   
Escaflowne. By the way, thanks to Eni LiNave for editing help. ^_^  
  
**********************  
In the Cards  
by Diana Moon  
diana_moon@hotmail.com  
Rated: G  
Created: 02.14.03  
Revised: 02.23.03  
**********************  
  
"Our story begins in a world similar to this..." the woman   
began, as she shuffled her tarot cards. She pulled her shoulder   
length hair behind her ears as she began her tale, a now famous tale,   
to a rather special audience. "A world full of normal people like you   
and I..."  
  
"Except for one, right?"  
  
The woman nodded, shuffling and reshuffling. "Hai, except for   
one young lady. Who had a gift to foresee the future." She pulled out   
a card, Il Papessa, and showed it to her audience.  
  
"Ooh," some of them said.  
  
For the next hour the young woman, Hitomi Kanzaki, enthralled   
her audience, which consisted of her two best friends, Yukari and   
Amano, and their three children. Hitomi, now 31, was a world-renowned   
author. Her adventures with the dragon King, Van Fanel, have become   
a well-known tale amongst many.  
  
She never thought herself as a writer. However, even after   
participating in the Olympics, running and long jumping did not make   
her happy anymore. So, surprisingly enough, she turned to journaling,   
not wanting to forget Van, Allen, Milerna, Meruru, and the others. And   
only after various naggings from Yukari, she published her writings.  
  
Though her books became famous, and the fans wanting, she   
could never write anything beyond the last time she saw Van. It just   
wouldn't seem right, it wouldn't be true.  
  
"And so Aoi returned home, to the 'Illusionary Moon,' where   
she waited patiently for the day when she could return to her love and   
live happily ever after." Hitomi pulled one more tarot card to show,   
La Forza, and reshuffled her deck. She noticed, happily, the moon was   
shining brightly through the curtains of the living room windows.  
  
The children sighed happily. "Oh that was a lovely story aunt   
Hitomi! But so sad!" they then cried. The youngest, Hitomi's namesake,   
sighed happily, again, and snuggled herself into the blanket that was   
around all three children. It was a perfect night for a story, and it   
was only when the moon was shining that their aunt would give in.  
  
The lady bard smiled. She leaned back into her chair and eyed   
the children playfully, "If it's so sad, why do you always beg me to   
tell you when I visit?"  
  
"Because it's a lovely story, Hitomi," Amano commented. Hitomi   
blushed slightly and stared at her deck. "You tell it with such   
conviction, it's as we're hearing it for the first time."  
  
Yukari and her children nodded in agreement.  
  
Hitomi smiled, "Arigatou..." She enjoyed telling the story. It   
was the only time in which she could reminisce without feeling sorrow.   
She noticed, however, that the oldest daughter, now 13, looked   
puzzled.  
  
Hitomi cocked her head, "Did you not like my story Celia?"  
  
"Oh yes, Aunt Hitomi! It's... It's just that..." Celia trailed   
off, slightly embarrassed at her thought.  
  
"Hmm?" Hitomi gently coaxed.  
  
"Well, what I don't understand is... Did Aoi and the dragon   
King ever kiss?"  
  
Hitomi smiled softly and clutched her deck tightly, "No. . .   
We -er they never did."  
  
"But why?" quipped little Allen, only nine, "Didn't they love   
each other?"  
  
"Of course they loved each other!" Yukari blurted. Hitomi   
chuckled at her sudden outburst. Yukari looked at Hitomi seriously,   
"They had always loved each other."  
  
"Then why?" the three unisoned.  
  
"Didn't they want to?"  
  
Hitomi chuckled, "Of course! But they both knew that they   
couldn't stay together. At least not then. They both had duties.   
Arcadia needed their king. And Aoi's family needed her. It was not   
meant to be for her to stay with him."  
  
"So why not a kiss to remember each other by if Aoi couldn't   
stay?"  
  
Hitomi's bright eyes faded for a second. She turned away and   
sighed softly. "Because in the long run..." She paused and stared at   
her tarot deck. "The kiss would have been like a death sentence."  
  
"Nani?!"  
  
"Naze?"  
  
'Oh Van. . .' Hitomi instinctively placed her hand over her   
heart. "To have known his kiss would have killed her. Because then all   
poor Aoi would have thought about would be the kiss. It would have   
driven her insane, being teased with only one kiss and nothing more."   
Hitomi, blushed again, licking her lips slightly. Yukari & Amano   
looked at each other happily and chuckled.. "Because then...if they   
had kissed, they would have never let go, and she would have stayed."   
Hitomi noticed the children's and Yukari's sad expressions.  
  
"She had loved and lost and she was fine with that. But to   
have tasted love once and never again... Would have been too much to   
bear. For either of them."  
  
"Will they...ever see each other again?"  
  
Hitomi's eyes began sparkling again. She felt the moon's glow   
and smiled. "Oh yes."  
  
"Will they finally kiss?"  
  
She smiled brighter, "Oh yes."  
  
The children beamed.  
  
"Will they finally be together?"  
  
"Oh yes," Hitomi breathed.  
  
Yukari spoke with hesitation in her voice, "And how does   
Hitomi know this?"  
  
"I thought you'd never ask," Hitomi grinned. She shuffled the   
deck one last time, her fingers trembling.  
  
Her mystic eyes sparkling, "Because..."  
  
She felt him calling for her, finally, as she pulled a random   
tarot card. 'I'm coming Van...'  
  
"It's in the cards."  
  
Alas, Hitomi told her last fortune. The warm bright light   
enveloped her as she pulled out L'Amore.  
  
.~Owari~.  
  
:Ending Credits:  
  
Hitomi obviously changed names in the published works. She   
became Aoi and Fanelia became Arcadia. I chose Aoi cause that's part   
of Hitomi's image song, "Aoi Hitomi." Arcadia was a secluded city in   
Ancient Greece.  
  
If you think about it, Yukari had her children young. All I   
can say is Que Sera Sera. ^_^  
  
Il Papessa means High Priestess. Seemed appropriate for   
Hitomi, ne?  
La Forza means Strength. This was used in ep 25. Strength to   
lose your loved one.  
L'Amore mean Lovers. Last card used in the series, I thought   
appropriate. ^_^  
  
Hai = Yes, Of course  
Nani = What?  
Arigatou = Thank you  
Naze = Why?  
  
If you somewhat enjoyed this piece or were intrigued and would   
like to read more Escafics from me please tell me. I dont ask because   
I want lots of comments, I just would like to know if I should   
continue in this anime series or put Escaflowne in the backburner and   
continue with other series I had in mind. Thank you for reading! ^_^ 


End file.
